


Once more into the breach.... And this time remember the cat

by Pygmypuffonacid



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Crack, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Duelling, Family, Family Drama, Minerva is done with this shit, Quidditch, Study of Ancient Runes (Harry Potter), Time Travel, Transfiguration (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:36:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21909820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pygmypuffonacid/pseuds/Pygmypuffonacid
Summary: The cat is catching that bloody Canary. Minerva finally decides to get shit done.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Minerva McGonagall/Elphinstone Urquart, Minerva McGonagall/Tom Riddle
Comments: 4
Kudos: 49





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’m sorry I know it can be annoying to have another asking for comments and feedback the story is a little bit different than what are you doing right I would really appreciate just hearing what you guys think of it. This is a little bit more Of a historical world builder than what I am used to composing, So any feedback is greatly appreciated.
> 
> So thank you in advance for anyone who takes the time to leave a comment. I really appreciate it.

Child soldiers lay dead at the gates, The black lake had turned red, victory had a bitter taste as she looked out at the dead.

Minerva sank Heavily into the chair covered in blood , sweat and Various other bits She didn’t want to contemplate. They had won but at what price, a quarter of a generation lay dead at the gates . Child soldier in a war that had been Raging for generations All because the older generation , her generation couldn’t adjust, the let hate grow in their hearts and it destroyed them. Tom destroyed them.

If only she had know what he would become back them , she could have done something. She could .... She could do stop thing to stop this. Minerva wrenched the drawer to the desk next to her open . Albus’s last resort, the last master time turner , she could go back, but not the normal way, she would be a child again transcending time in spirit but not in body . Merlin she could save them, she could save them all. With shaking hands she began to turn. 67 years , her eyes began to burn.

What seemed like an eternity pasted only in an instant, she was back . A Hogwarts letter in her hands.


	2. Chapter 2

The waters of loch Bree Were Calm On this particular morning an Auspicious beginning to her journey. She was 11 again,With auburn hair and too many freckles along her nose. She had a half crumpled letter in her right hand and a younger brother shouting for her mothers attention Robert , Robbie ... Was alive again, So was Malcolm, And her mother... and papa. ... Tears begin to prickle at the corners of her eyes and she smiled as The Exuberant voices of her family that she hadn’t heard in decades came cresting over the hill just to her right the house she had grown up in had been a small valley That abutted the loch Her father was the The parson Of the village the only one for 50 miles. She was back in her childhood home back in the far north of Scotland barely 60 miles from Azkaban Though her village was much more hospitable. If you could pretend to be a Muggle.

Minerva couldn’t help it when she heard her father’s voice she bolted away from the Waters she had observed and back down the path one that she had memorized by the time she was four and still could walk blindfolded even after decades of distance. She threw herself into her fathers unexpecting arms Still holding her leather tight her father caught her with a grunt She had knocked The air out of his lungs. But her papa as he always had had just talked her back and laughed after taking a deep breath.He even kissed her hair and asked her what was the matter it was her birthday she should be excited.

Her father didn’t notice the letter at first instead her mother caught sight of it the Hogwarts crest In the upper right hand corner of the crumpled parchment, Her mother started crying inexplicably the Minerva when she was younger didn’t understand, But she had lived almost century and time traveled back now she understood her mothers reaction, It was Joyous Pride at her daughters magical ability that had guaranteed her place at Hogwarts and a bit of envy because her eldest child was going into the magical world a world where she didn’t have to hide.

It was a situation and the reaction that epitomized her relationship with her mother throughout her entire life the woman had always loved her but she had been silently envious of her every achievement and opportunity, it was A sad fact of life That Minerva still quietly held against her it was just an aspect of her early life she could never quite forgive her mother for. Having to hide but she loved her father and her mother and her papa was Muggle belonged in the Muggle world so they had to hide she thought the trade off of having her father in her life was well worth the price of not being able to do magic in front of the neighbors.

Her father had brought me back to the parsonage she grew up in her mother had made her favorite chocolate cake with buttercream icing that she dug into greedily after cutting the pieces carefully there was only enough for each of them to have one chocolate was expensive at the time. As World War II had just started an even a magical community such extravagances as chocolate and confectionery Were starting to be in short supply, The cake was just as bitter sweet as Minerva remember the first time.

She hugged her mother her father and both her little brothers and spent the next few days Reacquainting herself With her past life . Her old Village friends, Her siblings the old Black cat she had as a child whiskers who followed her endlessly over the Scottish Moore, And when she went on walks around the loch. It was a nice reminder of the idyllic childhood she had remembered but she wasn’t 11 in her mind she was a woman of almost a century in time she couldn’t indulge in all the simple Pleasures of her early life without a modicum of guilt That she was still alive the Albus and the others Had fallen in battle just hours for her earlier and she was wandering around the Scottish Hills, Playing tag and Quidditch with her brothers. It was a strange feeling as her mind was still somewhat that of a child, But all her memories were of an adult life she found herself arguing with her mother more than once pulling the logic of an old school mistress out of her mouth talking her mother into a corner when they argued about school supplies or a pet cat. Minerva had one the arguments but left her mother befuddled and chastised resulting in Minerva being grounded by her father confined to her room without supper more than once In this new life. 

The weeks rolled together day after day she started exercising wandering away from her family to run the fields and practicing what control she could muster over her magic before she acquired her wand her heart aches for her dragon heartstring And Blackthorn companion her wand still sitting in Diagon alley On the third shelf second box to the right in Mr. olivanders Slightly to Dusty shop. She had attempted more than once to convince her mother that she needed to go school supply shopping at the earliest possible convenience her mother was more concerned with the family budget then Minervas need for a wand she couldn’t use until September. Minerva have tried everything From logic to Magic to recruiting her father in arguments to get her much-needed companion back at her side but her mother was adamant she would have to wait until next month to get her supplies.

Being so close and yet so far from everything she had known was absolutely maddening no matter how lovely it was to have her family back together she loved her brothers but she was still a much older woman in a child’s body even though her mind Still slid from time to time into childish actions she had actually thrown a tantrum the second time her mother had refused her she hadn’t got dessert that night. Though her younger brother Malcolm Had palmed to biscuit At the dinner table and smuggle it Up to her bedside that night. Her little brother has always been a kind soul and her partner in crime always making sure want another suffered the least amount of consequences possible minimizing the damage and covering for each other along with stealing a few treats when the other was sent to bed without dinner. The McGonagall siblings Never let one another go hungry even if they did something utterly ridiculous. As Minerva had bitten into the butter biscuit She couldn’t help but conspiratorially smiles at her younger brother oh how she had missed him. She wouldn’t let him die this time he wouldn’t be used as a sacrifice on the battlefield.

She had shaking her head forcing the memory from her mind before offering To read her younger brother One of his favorite stories about the Pirates of The Byzantine Before bedtime. Their papa had caught them mid story without a reprimand their mother was busy in the kitchen so her father had settled them again taking over the reading from where Minervas Had started the words linking together to make a much more majestic image in their minds. As the picture the swashbuckling privateers, And half mad wizards that had joined the Byzantine lines. Her father’s deep baritone filled the room and calmed both their minds, Minerva fell asleep to her father reading a story she had memorized like she had so many times before. This was a quiet peaceful time in her life and she intended to have many more. She thought to herself as her father closed the book and Bid them good night, Departing the room after tucking them in and Kissing Minerva on the top of her head like she was still the small child he thought of her in his mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Her mother finally took her to London On August 9 just days after Germany declared war on Poland tensions were at an all-time high across Europe particularly in Britain as the citizenry and the government we did with bated breath to see if the Prime Minister might be able to stabilize things on the continent without additional blood shed. For the magical community they were mostly oblivious to the tumultuous actions of the Muggle governments however Grindelwald was growing in power and it was making every wizard and witch in the islands a bit nervous. Parents were keeping a closer eye on their children, International park keys had a few more restrictions, And the ministry had started discussing loyalty test for some senior employees. The magical community was being cautious but not yet combative to the threat growing ever closer to the channel around them.

Minerva was of course aware of the historical situation that had encompassed her girlhood ,But she had been at Hogwarts for most of the war so her memories about the history or a bit scattered she hadn’t fought Many of Grindelwald followers until she had been one of the senior students she had caught a few of them attempting to break Past the school awards from time to time during her rounds as headgirl, But her memories were fuzzy at that as she had been more concerned with trouncing Slytherin In Quidditch at that time rather than observing the world around her. She would have to keep a closer eye on the war this time while she dealt with the enemies within Great Britain she would have to prevent More catastrophes than she anticipated. But she needed to keep her mind on the first few steps she couldn’t do anything without the necessary ingredients. 

Her books were purchased rather quickly her mother took care of it however Minerva manage to swipe her mothers wand out of her pocket she wandered the store while her mother had the clerk distracted picking up the necessary volumes she could remember tapping the one against the supple sometimes cracked leather Of the spell books spines shrinking them down to the size of a mug of gumball before shoving them into her pockets doing her best With a foreign one that knew her But wasn’t her own instead the bit of wood obeyed her but fought her magic Like a bull rider reluctant to let anything happen. By the sixth book which was markedly more expensive than the others but Minerva grimaced Anything more would trigger the antitheft charms of the establishment she had done the calculations carefully based on the book pricing that she could remember anything under 75 gallons typically went unnoticed she had everything she needed until she got to Hogwarts Spell book wise she would have to Ask to be tested for advanced placement during her first week at school it was the only way she could build a reputation at her age unfortunately she needed to be known as a prodigy by the time next year rolled around and Tom Riddle entered the stage at Hogwarts as a first year she needed to establish yourself as a potential mentor for the boy it was the only plan she could stomach. 

After a bit of coercion and argument her mother took her to the wand maker next, Mr. Olivander Had taken one look at her and laughed before again taking her measurements like he had in one lifetime past, She didn’t even try any other ones he just plucked Her old faithful companion off the shelf and offered the box to her the gold and silver sparks that shot from the tip were a warm reminder many days of Transfiguration and complex spell craft with her loyal instrument by her side her heart filled with joy again for the first time as it was in the last she had her wand back. Mr. olivander Had just laughed and said, “ That she needed to mind her step this time round or there might be backlash. Her intentions were noble but magic had a way of correcting any changes so she best be careful that she didn’t alter anything to the point that magic deemed it The alterations so drastic they required a cosmic approval. The what he really said was she had best mind her step on the third floor Corredor the Landing tended to be impetuous.

Minerva hadn’t been able to do anything but laugh understanding the peculiar man’s meaning it was a popular code during the first war, Somethings she has studied as a graduate apprentice intricate spell work wish subtle movement it was the perfect message for someone in her situation she would have to be careful to not take a battering ram to the future she wanted everyone to live not erased from existence

She needed to make sure everyone would survive but she could only do so much today so she let her mother put her down the Alley towards the ice cream parlor as a minor celebration for a successful shopping excursion. Minerva reminded herself she needed to enjoy the simple moments as well as keep to her overall plan otherwise she wouldn’t have much of a life to go back to in the end


	4. Chapter 4

September 1 rolled around quickly her brothers had cried and hugged her in the village as her mother refused to allow them to accompany her to the platform , This was a severe departure from her first Hogwarts departure her entire family had accompanied her The last time Minerva Had behaved like an 11-year-old rather than a woman of her stature She had gone to her father but her mother wouldn’t relate she had a plan but she didn’t think her mother would appreciate it. Her parents thought she was alone years old so she had to act within the parameters of that age group so she resorted to a children’s method to correct the difference Chinese finger trapS stolen from a few of the local boys. She Used a bit of what magic she could harness Without her wand and hand and stuck her finger inside the torturous device and then entrapped both her brothers hands They made an Odd site With a cross-section of two Chinese finger traps magically connected merged into an odd Cross shape with three fingers connected one opening left for a fourth that was not present.

With her task done and an adequate explanation offered up to Malcolm and Robbie who were on board with their sisters newfound brilliance and Albiet slightly more kindness And affection for her younger siblings then she had at her first round at life, she knew how precious this time was now she intended to make the most of it, When presented with nervous actions her mother had blown a gasket, Papa had had to turn his laughter into a cough before their mother caught him, And that was that they drove from Scotland down to London Minerva and her brothers hands still trapped within the woven paper prison, Until they made it to Kings Cross station. The whole time her father would periodically look back and laugh with a smile and his eyes while her mother grumbled irritated Not that. Minerva didn’t really understand why her mother was so against her siblings Seeing her off of the platform this time around but it didn’t bode well for future circumstances if it continued she would have to think about that.

Whiskers had stayed at home with the sheep dog and cattle as well as the church mice in the rectory. Minerva had a beautiful gift from her maternal grandparents a great horned owl That she Named Copernicus as he had stolen her father spectacles upon his arrival he was one of the first major differences She could detect her grandparents hadn’t establish contact with the family until she was 15 in her previous life this gift was a method of building a bridge an owl She was grateful for as the family had started cautious interactions the more magic her younger siblings were exposed to the more likely they would learn something useful And necessary for survival. Her maternal grandfather was a spell crafter not a wealthy one but a talented man. She had shown him What school she had before she acquired a want to transform a tea cup into a beautiful glass cat the first time you visited her grandfather and Papa had both laughed the men had looked at her and then started speaking to each other something that meant Something significant for her memory Minerva had never seen her father and her maternal grandfather converse with any cadence other than a casual greeting, Or a shouting contest. She thought this development quite interesting but she couldn’t quite place the reason why . Her mother got very nervous When her grandfather invited them over to dinner her husband agreeing before her mother could even acquiesce or deny The request from her father.

So two days before she left for Hogwarts Minerva did something she had never done before, She had dinner at Burrill Hall A small Georgian house in the Cotswolds where her grandparents had settled in their retirement, The house wasn’t very impressive but the people in it were quite interesting. Two cousins she didn’t even know she had that were school-age Hogwarts attendance in their sixTh year Nicodemus and Roger Who looked like her uncle Horace her mothers brother respected potioner That Minerva had only interacted once with in her 50s Right before his death the man had left her a small fortune due to the rest of the family Dying or mysteriously going missing between the 30s and the 1970s due to war and in her mother’s case indifference. Her uncle Horace had taken one look at her and laughed before offering her chocolate frog and introducing her to her cousins along with her brothers, Nicodemus started telling her about ravenclaw And Roger sat with Malcolm and Robbie playing gob stones while they waited for dinner. It was a new experience for her part of her family she had never met Nicodemus clearly didn’t know how to speak to a younger cousin so he addressed her as if she was a 17-year-old which was much a relief to Minerva as she had grown tired of being addressed as if she was a child. They have left the household laughing everyone in good spirits even her mother her father and her maternal grandfather seem to have bonded over a surprising love of the bagpipes both magical and muggle Their appreciation for the instrument seem to transcend such distinctions it was a true love of Scotland and music of their land.

With that and the hick up with her mother Objecting to the entire family coming to the trailer and Minervas actions to alter that plan the last month of her time pre-Hogwarts came to an end they arrived at Kings Cross and Minerva silently freed her siblings and her hands before stashing the Chinese finger trap in her pocket before her mother could confiscate it. Such a device might come in handy again. Her father had looked a little queasy when she had run headlong into a brick wall to get to the Platform, Her brothers had followed her laughing as any boys would at the prospect of a new adventure dragging their father and mother with them. The first sight of the express she has had in ages was breathtaking as it always was the awe she expressed Was well in line with the other first years on the platform but this time instead of bidding her siblings and parents goodbye And entering a new world on her own they had shouts of greeting from just down the line the new family acquaintances her cousins , Merlin that was still quite an alien concept. Nicodemus and Roger waved at them, And uncle Hugo approached her parents the boys For older cousins took her trunk from her father and brother and stowed it away themselves and the two families intermingled for a good 10 minutes before the train whistle brought them around. Another round of goodbyes was hard and hugs were exchanged With her father giving her strict instructions to write daily her brother is crying and her mother smiling with a heartfelt goodbye but this time she had a laughing uncle to bid farewell and two cousins Ushering her onto the train and escorting her to an empty compartment a few seats from the prefects compartment With Nicodemus assuring her that this was the best trafficked area for first years to make fast friends the two boys departed one in Ravenclaw And the other a Hufflepuff, Both prefects In their year Her cousins only walked a few compartments down to sit with their friends while she waited alone the circumstances of her arrival at the train we’re so very different from the first time around Minerva couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or a bad one yet but irregardless Of that she needed to seize every available moment.

She pulled her wand out of the Of the rest holster she had also stolen from The bookshelf it was a little big but she would grow into it by next summer, She enlarged one of her more interesting books that was not on the first year curriculum And begin to renew her AQuaintance with Astronomy, Advance spell crafting practices some thing she didn’t teach frequently and she would need to brush up on in order to advance quickly in academics She needed to establish herself As a prodigy quickly if she was going to become the person that Tom Riddle might evvy, She had two years to do it to establish a reputation before the boy would walk through the halls of Hogwarts. She was only a few pages in when Someone knocked on the door an old friend she Never expected to see you again or at least not before the rapture. Dorea black With her dark blonde hair and stormy gray eyes stood at the door to her compartment her Upturned nose full of The mild contempt Minerva had taken three semesters to dismiss from her expression the girl who she hadn’t seen since 1973 , Asked if there was any room in the Compartment with two young boys and a girl at her back. Minerva closed her book and nodded, dorea black, Lucrezia black, Edward Greenbrier, And Charlus Potter Walked into the compartment potter having Pockets overflowing with snacks and Lucretia holding a rather anxious looking cat. The site before her made Minerva laugh these four had been old friends and acquaintances from long before either war the side of them was both exhilarating and extraordinarily sad so she wasn’t the same person that she had been before so she didn’t know if they could establish the same relationship.

Lucrezia give Minerva a strange look before assuming she had left at the state of her cat and the girl explained that buttons had just eaten someone’s rat , And the head girl had stupefied him for the rest of the journey, While letter was written to their parents to determine adequate compensation for the loss of a pet.

Minerva not knowing what to say at the moment just nodded before expertly dodging a box of Bertie Every flavor beans that had been catapulted at her head, Minerva having been friends with the boys for seven years all during her schooling, Was very well acquainted with charlus potter Unintentionally violent method of sharing. She caught it quite easily just a few inches from her head the potter Scion had grinned at her All too familiarly Before looking at Edward and crowing about how Anyone could catch making me nervous come to Edwards defense adding she played chase her in Quidditch so her reflexes were slightly above average.

The comments from hell then somehow lead To A two hour conversation about the finer intricacies of The British national Quidditch team as it compared to Scotland. Minerva Heart head swells with pride when she happily proclaimed that Fergus McGovern as captain of the Scotland team had lead Scotland to the World Cup three times in the last decade making Lucrezia and charlus Grumble but finally nod in agreement. Dorea was still of the opinion that Quidditch was absolute nonsense and Edward had always been more interested in announcing then playing the sport so he added color for commentary for that of an 11-year-old about how Marie Cleary how to spice up the match by depicting a graphic murder of a sausages a particular fat spectator was eating During the first half making them all laugh.

Minerva couldn’t help but smile at the faces around her no matter her age even if they were children she still kind of was one at the moment because she had memories from future decades And she had changed quite a few things the people around her We’re still mostly themselves still the boys and girls she had gone to school with had left with and been dear friends This was one aspect of her life she was grateful for a little deviation from her previous life for she loved her friends dearly and having a close connection to the Potters would come in handy in the future this time around if she made enough of a difference

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry I know it can be annoying to have a writer asking for comments and feedback the story is a little bit different than what I am used to writing, I would really appreciate just hearing what you guys think of it. This is a little bit more Of a historical world builder than what I am used to composing, So any feedback is greatly appreciated.
> 
> So thank you in advance for anyone who takes the time to leave a comment. I really appreciate it.


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